Which appliance is increasing your monthly energy bill?

shutterstock_557518258

We all have that moment when we open the electric bill and wince a little. Sometimes we even have the moment where we swear that we were good this month with electricity use. The first thing that comes to your mind is, why is it so expensive? What is so expensive? What happened? Well let’s investigate.

Wattage

Some electric bills have a “wattage used” section that displays usage over the course of a few months. If you’ve noticed that the outrageous bill occurs during the hottest or coldest months of the year then chances are your heating/cooling system is the culprit. The best way to avoid these types of bills is to keep your thermostat in check. There is a recommended temperature of 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer. Being consistent will help curb these energy spikes.

Your Heater

One of the other obvious appliances could be the water heater. Most people don’t even think about this because it is out of sight and out of mind, but this forgotten appliance can be a serious drain on your wallet. Flipping the breaker off before bed and back on when returning from work can save you some money. If you want to try that trick you’ll find you still have warm water in the morning.

Water Heater

Water heaters have a relatively long lifespan so if you fear that it may be broken, first make sure it’s not over worked. All you have to do is look at your pipes and make sure there isn’t a leak. If hot water is constantly escaping from a faulty pipe then the water heater will never have a break which could result in an unusually high electric bill. This consistent water usage will effect your water pump as well (which is also electric). If you have city/county water then your water bill could also show signs of increased supply.

Laundry

The last one we’ll go over here is the washer and dryer. A large family can generate at least one load of laundry per day. Did you know that the electric company has “peek hours”? You are charged extra for the electricity you use during peek hours. My best advice in this case is to try to hold off on this chore until after the peek hours. A typical electric supplier’s peek hours are from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. To avoid peek hours check with your electric supplier.

We hope this little breakdown is a bit of information that you can follow.